The West Haven Mite C team picked up its first win of its young, inaugural season with a thrilling come-from-behind victory over the Wallingford Mite C’s in Northfard, Saturday morning. Logan Minio picked up a hat trick, with Ben Trenchard getting assists on Minio’s first two goals.
Julius Stokes, Evan Harrison and Joey Mondo broke up several Wallingford plays in front of the Westie net, helping protect goalie Tony Parise, who had several key saves in the game. Brady Salkins and Jax Guarino worked hard on both sides of the puck, getting it forward to create chances and back checking to play defense. Kyle Johnson also scored twice late in the game to spark the comeback for the West Haven Mite C’s.
The West Haven Peewee A travel hockey team dropped both of its games this weekend and fell to 12-11-0 in CHC play. The Westies lost to Greater New Haven A, 7-1, and Ridgefield A, 3-2.
On Saturday afternoon at the Northford Ice Pavilion, the GNH Warriors and Blue Devils skated evenly for two periods. GNH scored in the first period for a 1-0 lead. The score remained 1-0 through the second period as the Westies killed off multiple penalties including a 5-on-3 disadvantage. Goaltender Jacob Silva made several clutch saves.
The Warriors went up 2-0 when the puck deflected off a Westies’ skate early in the third. West Haven got right back into the game with a power play goal two minutes later. Matt Kelly passed to Alex Bowery who quickly found Ronnie Mastroni. The winger put a great move on a defenseman and then wristed a shot over the goalie to make it 2-1. Penalties proved too costly down the stretch as GNH scored three power play goals and pulled away. Silva was valiant with 25 saves.
On Sunday morning at Edward L. Bennett Rink, the Westies hosted Ridgefield. The teams skated to a scoreless tie into the second period when Ridgefield took a 1-0 lead on a 4-on-3 power play goal.
The Blue Devils responded early in the third period. Sean Studley worked the puck up the boards and centered to Alex Bowery who slid it through the five hole to tie it at 1-1. Ridgefield then scored a power play goal and a short-handed goal within a minute of each other to go up 3-1.
Connor Moriarty got the Westies within a score when he fired a shot off the goalie and in for a power play tally with six minutes left in the game. West Haven could not muster the equalizer in the final minutes. Greg Galasso made 17 saves in net for the Westies.
The West Haven Peewee AA travel hockey team traveled to Red Bank Armory in New Jersey to face the Red Bank Generals AA on Saturday and played to a 2-2 tie.
Nick Salzano broke up a pass off the stick of a General sending it to Nick Eberhart who went the rest of the way before beating the goalie with a wrister for a 1-0 lead halfway through the first period. The Generals took the lead in the second period, going up 2-1 over the Devils.
Late in the second period, Brody DiNuzzo picked off a pass in the defensive zone before going the distance, beating the goalie with his backhand and knotting the game at 2-2.
The game ended in a 2-2 tie in regulation as would the Devils 18-game winning streak. Nate Kempton and Tyler Donroe gave up a goal each, but were outstanding in net making numerous saves.
On Sunday, the team hosted Mass Outlaws at Bennett Rink in the final EJEPL game of the season for the Devils and posted a 12-0 victory. DiNuzzo provided what would be the game winner just 13 seconds into the game after picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone and beating the goalie on a wrister unassisted. John Donohue finished with a hat trick and two assists. Nick Salzano had a hat trick as well. DiNuzzo finished with two goals, two assists, Mascari had two goals and one assist, Gabe Locklear and Tim Donohue had one goal and two assists each. Nicky Stevens had a pair of assists, Connor Benz and Beckett Stenz each had an assist. Thomas Porto and Eberhart played well and Jack Aloi was outstanding on defense. Nate Kempton and Donroe combined for the shutout.
Peewee AA team finished the EJ regular season with a record of 15-1, and outscored opponents, 98-22.
The West Haven Bantam A travel hockey team posted a win and a tie this weekend. The Westies opened the week with a 5-2 victory over Central at the Edward L. Bennett Rink Saturday morning. Cam Delvecchio led the way with three goals and an assist.
West Haven took a 3-0 lead in the first period and never looked back.
Jayden Spreyer scored an unassisted goal 2:52 into the contest, before Delvecchio scored off assists from Spreyer and Josh Gyolai 1:10 later. Delvecchio increased the lead to three goals off an assist from Spreyer with 5:56 left in the period.
Leading by two goals, West Haven increased the margin to 4-1 when Mickey Dowd scored off assists from Michael Madera and Delvecchio, who also added a goal with 56 seconds remaining in the contest.
Bryan Hong was once again solid in goal, making numerous saves behind the defense of Haygen Axelrod, Jason Alling, Gyolai, and Matt Stevens.
Dante Hardt, Will Giaquinto and Kyle Droney also played well in the contest.West Haven battled back from a 3-1 deficit to post a 4-4 tie against Greenwich Skate Club at Dorothy Hammill Rink Sunday afternoon.
Even at three, Dowd scored off assists from Alling and Delvecchio for a 4-3 advantage, before Greenwich rallied to tie the contest.
The West Haven Bantam B travel hockey team had a win and a tie this weekend.
On Saturday, the team traveled to Westminster to play Simsbury and posted a 7-0 victory.
Ashley Welch started the scoring for the Westies 29 seconds into the game on a pass from Zack Fonda. Yousaf Ullah (Danny Johnson assisted), Alex Kurowski (unassisted) and Carson Lee (Ullah assisted) extended the lead by the end of the first period.
Matty Wright, off an assist from Cody Rocchio, and Fonda, off an assist from Welch, added goals in the second period.
Welch connected from Fonda in the third to end the scoring and seal the 7-0 shutout win for Austin Fruin and the Westies.
On Sunday, the Westies faced off against the Greenwich Skating club at Bennett Rink and played to a 5-5 tie.
The Westies fell behind by two goals early in the first period but tied the game on goals from Max Ginsberg (Taylor Alfano assisted) and Yousaf Ullah (unassisted). West Haven then gave up two more goals before the end of the first period.
Rocchio picked up a rebound off Fonda’s shot to get the Westies within one goal. Wright scored an unassisted goal to tie the game up in the first minute of the third period.
Yousaf Ullah (unassisted) add the go-ahead goal minutes later, but Greenwich would tie the game.
The West Haven Squirt A travel hockey team fell 7-2 to Greenwich Skating Club A at Bennett Rink on Saturday.
The Blue Devils played solid on defense in the opening period, limiting Greenwich to one goal in the first 10 minutes until the Wings scored with 1:53 left to take a 2-0 lead. The Westies pulled within one at 0:54 of the first, when center Grady Schulte drained a shot in front of the net on a play set up by forwards Aedan Guarino and Cameren Lipford.
In the second, the Blue Devils continued to skate hard and pressure the Wings, with goaltender Alex Werle’s quick glove and stick keeping the Westies in the game. The gritty style of play paid off. At 7:04 of the period, Lipford picked up the loose puck in the Greenwich zone, deked a defender and toe-dragged it by another defender before firing a wrist shot high to the blocker side to tie it 2-2.
After a promising period and a half for the Blue Devils, the Wings took over and went on to score four unanswered goals in the second and one in the third to put the contest out of reach.
Werle made 28 saves for the Westies.